Flicks, Craig Mathieson
The real life story of American professional wrestling’s unlikely British champion makes for a pleasing but hardly challenging Rocky-off-the-top-rope biopic. It’s too safe.
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Fighting with My Family
Comedy biopic written and directed by Stephen Merchant (The Office), based on the 2012 documentary The Wrestlers: Fighting with my Family, which tells the story of WWE wrestler Paige (Florence Pugh, Lady Macbeth). Dwayne Johnson appears in the film and is also among the producers.
Born into a tight-knit wrestling family, Paige and her brother Zak (Jack Lowden, Dunkirk) are ecstatic when they get the opportunity to try out for the WWE. But when only Paige earns a spot, she must leave her family behind and face this new cut-throat world alone.
2019Rating: M, Crude sexual humour and violence109 minsUSA, UK
ComedyTrue Story & Biography
- Director:
- Stephen Merchant ('The Office', 'Extras', 'Cemetery Junction')
- Writer:
- Stephen Merchant
- Cast:
- Florence PughLena HeadeyNick FrostJack LowdenVince VaughnThea TrinidadDwayne JohnsonAqueela Zoll
Fighting with My Family / Reviews
Flicks, Matt Glasby
A story ripe for a film adaptation and marks a good debut for Merchant.
Full reviewVariety
"Fighting With My Family" may not be an Oscar contender but it has enough wit, heart, energy and good cheer to make it a fun watch even for non-wrestling fans.
Full reviewTime Out
The boastful, performative nature of WWE, spiked with mini dramas and constant role-playing, becomes the lingua franca of an atypical household in Fighting with My Family, the sweetest of comedies despite a sizable number of body slams.
Full review
The New York Times
It's often broadly funny but never mean or patronising; it takes the Knights, their eccentricities and quixotic aspirations seriously, but not enough to squelch the fun.
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The Guardian
Despite a great real-life background story, and despite comedy master Stephen Merchant being at the helm as writer-director, this movie never really comes off.
Full review
Stuff
Fighting With My Family is a plucky, funny and unexpectedly moving wee film. I liked it a great deal.
Full review
Rolling Stone
What's surprising is how well all of this suplex-to-nuts biopic works...[but] see it for Florence Pugh's fireplug turn.
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New Zealand Herald
Fighting with My Family is simply an entertaining, lightweight affair of humorously choreographed muscle.
Full review
Los Angeles Times
Within the context of a sport that thrives on artifice, writer-director Stephen Merchant spins a story whose emotions feel entirely genuine.
Full review
Hollywood Reporter
A couple of scenes with The Rock don't energise a run-of-the-mill sports story.
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FilmInk
If you want a good laugh, you'll find it here. If you want some Rocky-style physical exertion, you'll get your fill. Even if you're not all that interested in pro wrestling, the serious talent has a solid chance of winning you over anyway.
Full review
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